Improvement in keys



W. H. TAYLGR. Key.

No. 197,684. Patented Nov. 27, 1877.

N.FETEHS, PHOTO-LITHUGRAFHER, WASHINGON. D C.

UNITED STATES PATENT-OFFICE.

WARREN H. TAYLOR, OF STAMFORD, CONNECTICUT, ASSIGNOR TO THE YALE LOCKMANUFACTURING COMPANY, -OF SAME PLACE.

IMPROVEMENT lN KEYS.

Specification forming part of Letters Patent No. 197,684, dated November27, 1877; application filed February 23, 1877.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, WARREN H. TAYLOR, of Stamford, in the county ofFaireld and State of Connecticut, have invented certain ImprovementsinKeys, of which the followingis a specification that will enablepersons skilled iu the art to make and use the same, reference being hadto the accompanying drawings.

My improvements relate to keys in which a iat steel or sheet-metal shankand bow are employed; and their object is to secure the strength,lightness, convenience in use, and economy in manufacture of such ashank and bow, united securely with a round stem, or that part of anordinary round key which gives it support and serves as its journal inthe bearing of the lock-case. 'Flat keys made wholly of sheet metalinvolve the use in the look of a hub or roll-back7 to support themduring their revolution, and it is often difficult to enter the dat keyinto this hub when the lock is on the door, because the hub is out ofsight, and the key must pass through a greater or less thickness of woodto reach the lock. The hub is also occasionally turned and its slotmoved from its vertical position by accident, so that the key cannotenter until it is replaced. Hence, it has heretofore been attempted tocombine the advantages of around and iiat key, as appears by the patentgranted to Emory Parker, May 4, 1869, in which a flat sheet-metal bow,shank, and bit made of one piece are united with a peculiar slotted stemcut nearly in two, which leaves it weak. Owing to this plan ofconstruction, soldering or brazing must largely be depended upon forsecuring the two parts together, which injures the appearance of thekey, renders it difficult to finish, and more liable lto be defaced bycorrosion. My purpose is to obviate thesev objections by an improvedconstruction that will enable the parts to be more securely fitted andunited, with less dependence upon soldering or brazing, and with agreater facility for inishing.

To this end my invention consists in an improved key, the shank and bowof which are made of one piece of sheet metal, and rigidly united to aseparate cylindrical or other shaped stem, that carries the bit or wing.

improved key complete. Fig. 2 is a view of the sheet-metal shank and bowdetached. Figs. 3 and 3fL are views of the cylindrical stem and bit.Figs. 4 and 4 are views of a slotted ferrule which may be employed tounite the shank and stem. Fig. 5 is aview of a modication of the form ofthe shank. Figs. 6, 7, and 8 are views, in cross-section, of stems andbits of dierent modes of manufacture, but alike in outline.

I prefer to make the bit and stern of a single piece of metal. This maybe done by eutting suitable blanks from rolled or drawn stock ofthe formshown in cross-section by Fig. 6, or by stamping out sheet-metal blanksand doubling or folding them, as shown in cross-section by Figs. 7 and8, and punching or trimming these blanks to give the bit the desiredshape and leave it shorter than the stem.

It will be seen that the combined stem and bit shown by Fig. 6 is solid,that the one shown byFig. 7 is formed of a single piece of sheetmetalfolded in the middle, and that the one shown by Fig. Sis formed of asingle piece of sheet metal folded at one side. In one end of the stem,in order to connect it with the sheet-metal shank, I form a slot, c. Istamp out the shank and bow from sheet metal of a thickness at leastequal to the width of the slot in the stem, and at the same time form onits end a tenon, b, of a width equal to the diameter of the stem, to fitin the slot. I place a ferrule, c, open at one end and partially closedand slotted at the other, on the stem, so that the slot in the ferruleand that in the stem shall coincide, thus forming a complete mortise,into which the tenon is inserted and secured, its shoulders restingagainst the bottom of the slot in the ferrule. If desired, there may bean aperture running partially or entirely through the stem to receivethe projection of the tenon illustratedin the modification of the shankshown in Fig. 5. The ferrule not only securelyunite's the shank andstein, but also forms a shoulder, x, that serves as a stop or gage tothe key when inserted in the lock. The obj ect of having'it partiallyclosed at the slotted end is to give a better finish, and to preventitsslipping out of place, the end of the stem holding it on one side, whilethe shoulders of the tenon on the shank entering its slot hold it ontheother; but7 althoughl prefer to have stem, formed of one 4piece ofsheet metal7 and. provided with a tenon for uniting it with the stem7substantially as described.

y 2. The combination of a tenoned sheet-metal key shank and bow with aAcylindrical slotted key-stem carrying a bit or wing, substantially asdescribed.

3. A key'having a bow and shank composed of a single piece of sheetmetal without bit or stem, and rigidly secured to'a stem oi' othermetal.

In testimony that I claim the foregoing as Iny own I afx my signature inpresence of two witnesses.

WARREN H. TAYLOR.

` Witnesses:

E. D. OGDEN, Jr., WALTER FULLER.

